The present invention relates to the field of golf club bags. Particularly, the invention relates to a bag suitable for placement on the rear of a golf cart. More particularly, this invention relates to a golf club bag having a separate pocket for a putter. The pocket allows the golfer to easily locate the putter in the bag during the round.
During a round of golf, a golfer carries a series or set of golf clubs in a golf bag. The golf bag is often arranged in a vertical position on a golf cart. Before a golfer takes a shot he must select a club from his bag and after shooting he will place the club back into the bag. Because of the similarity in appearance of many of the clubs in a set and the typical crowding of the clubs in the bag, a golfer can become easily frustrated trying to locate a particular club for his next shot.
A golfer generally uses a putter more times in an ordinary round of golf than any other club in the bag. Since the putter is usually the shortest club among the set, it can easily be the most difficult club to locate in the golf bag. Accordingly, a golf club bag having a separate compartment for storing a putter during the golf round is desirable.
According to one embodiment, the golf club bag of this invention comprises a substantially tubular body having a first open end and a second at least substantially closed end. The bag further includes a rigid member attached to an outer surface of the body. The member and the outer surface of the body define a pocket where the golfer can place a putter. The bag also includes a projection extending from an edge of the open body substantially in the same plane as the member mounted on the body. The projection provides a barrier between the putter and the rest of the set of clubs so that the putter does not contact the other clubs in the set that are placed in the body as the clubs move throughout the golfer""s round. The height of the projection in the preferred embodiment should be about equal to the height of the putter head when the putter is placed into the pocket.
Preferably, the member attached to the outer surface of the bag defines a pocket that decreases in diameter in the direction towards the closed end of the bag. This allows for a wide opening at the top making it easy for a golfer to place a putter in the bag. The pocket being on the outside of the tubular body makes placement of the putter into the pocket and retrieval from the pocket very easy because the putter shaft does not intermingle with other golf club shafts during placement or retrieval.